Police should use "discretion" when deciding whether to prosecute desperate shoplifters amid rising poverty levels, the new HM chief inspector of constabulary has suggested.
Andy Cooke said petty crime fuelled by the cost-of-living crisis would pose a challenge for policing, as inflation hit a 40-year high in April.
Mr Cooke said: "I think whenever you see an increase in the cost of living or whenever you see more people dropping into poverty, I think you'll invariably see a rise in crime.
